What is happening on the ranch...

My nephew riding his motorbike. Our daughter riding the 4-wheeler, although this year she bought a motorbike and is learning how to ride it.

Salting cattle up on the hill, and making sure they are doing well, and that the babies are growing.

My husband having and allergy attack. He forgot to start his drops a couple of weeks ago. He started them yesterday and his eyes were almost swollen shut last night and itchy so he will have a few miserable days on the ranch.

Our daughter reading a book and just relaxing.

Our daughter cleaning the house to get ready for her dad and his friend coming, but wait those don't look like cleaning utensils!! They look more like toys. Ok what is going on is she deceiving us. Knowing our daughter she already has the work done and it just having fun.

My other nephew riding his motorbike. Although a couple of weeks ago he took a tumble and I am not sure if he is back on his bike.

My dad on his trusty 4-wheeler!!

And of course it is that time of year when all the hay needs to come down, be bailed, hauled and tucked away for winter.
You know as I write this I realize that the same thing always happens every summer on the ranch. I guess what changes is that each year I am a year old, wiser probably not, but definitely a year older!!

OH YEAH...

In the past 7 months I have...
moved to a new country, took care of son, helped a daughter adjust, bought a new house, bought a new car, bought new appliances, fixed a new broken tv, fixed a new broken frig, loved a husband, taught a relief society lesson, dragged because of my health, worked hard to get healthy, BUT...

I TOOK 9 hours of UNIVERSITY COURSES in 7 months. I know I am crazy!!
( I had to in order to keep my teaching certificate current because who knows when I may need to go to work (husband could loose job, kids going to college, I am bored out of my mind and need something to do...)
AND TODAY with the help of my very special little friend KARMEN I finished them!!! It has been so stressful, but the work is all completed and turned in. Now I just have to take the finals in the next 10 days. (they will be much easier!! Thank heavens!!!) and once again I will continue to be certified. What ever that means!!
But darn it now I have to clean my house, do laundry and try and unpack the several boxes that have been hanging out in the so called office.

What summer has brought...

This summer has been so different from my past 9 summers. The biggest difference is not being at the ranch. BUT this summer has brought many wonderful things...

Having our daughter spread her wings and go by herself to the ranch, listening to how happy she is there, and thankful she is having special time with Grandpa and Grandma, Auntie and Unc and of course the cousins.

My husband to be able to fly up to the ranch and have a fun week with his childhood friend catching up on the last 9 years.

Time to just concentrate on my health and eating right and for the first time in years feeling pretty normal.

Having one on one time with my son and getting to know him again and loving every minute of the time we spend together. Realizing once again how blessed I am to be his mom.

The sunshine that west Texas bring into my life everyday.

Getting up early in the mornings and walking with Rooster before the sun comes up while there is still a coolness to the air.

Living so close to a temple (2 hours) and being able to pop up on a Saturday for a date with my husband.

Finding turtle after turtle (ok I am not going there on the livestock thing)

Having time to sew a skirt for my daughter.

But more than anything JUST BREATHING and enjoying every minute because I know that soon when school starts it will all change. Our son will once again be on his own at University, our daughter will be a senior and busy with all of her doings, my husband will be busy at work, and then it will be my time to go to the ranch here and there to enjoy all the ranch brings into our lives. (horses, 4-wheelers, my family, the mountains etc.)
Life is about a time and a season.

The saga...

In January we had the challenges of our son and his horse riding accident. He had a fractures pelvis and broke the big butterfly bone in his hip. At first they said 3-6 months, BUT he was cleared from the Doctor at just three months. He has enjoyed riding almost everyday for the past couple of months, but of course now it is getting really hot so he is doing less. BUT now

We are finding out that his injuries weren't just contained to his pelvis and hip. He also suffered a jaw injury along with it, but we were so into the other injuries that we didn't realize that the jaw injury had taken place. He was complaining about his jaw but we just thought it was because he was clamping down on his teeth hard at night.

So now we are doing xrays and cat scans to determine what is really wrong with his jaw and what will need to be done. The big problem is that...
He is headed off to University in the fall and ... well you can guess the rest of story or if not you shall just have to wait and see what the next chapter of the jaw and university brings... I know I can hardly wait!!!

Turtle Quiz...

Ok so I tried to recruit one turtle to move to the ranch and asked him to talk to his buddies. Well I didn't hear from any of them for a couple of days. So I guess that things are dead in the water and that is is no deal.
SO we are having a turtle quiz instead. (I know I know you are so excited you can hardly stand it you are jumping up and down and going straight to the internet to figure it all out!!)

So here is the question.
Just what kind of turtle is this?
Is it male or female?
(You know you are going to have to figure it out because I really don't have any answers and there aren't any prizes either!!)

Now notice the color his his head, legs and shell because...

Hey Stormy what are doing sneaking into the turtle quiz. That horse is always right in the middle of things!! Including the only horse it the pasture that will eat the watermelon my friend throws over the fence.

Now look at this one. He is definitely a different kind. He was in the back yard this morning. I haven't seen him crusin around here before. But I am guessing he has been but we just haven't meet him yet.

Check out those freckles or are they spots.

His head almost looked like a snake head as it would turn.

So what kind is this guy? Do you think he is male or female. But the big question is do I try and talk him into moving to the ranch? Different kind different ideas of what might be the adventure of his life???

I love...

When we moved here in January, I had forgotten how desolate it was in west Texas. It was such a shock coming from such a rugged and beautiful country like Norway. I went through withdrawal (for many other reasons also). This past few weeks we have had a fair amount of rain and along with it the desert has come into full bloom.

These are called purple sage. I was going to pop out a few days ago and get some pictures, but got busy doing other things. When the last rain storm came through it took most of the blossoms off. As you can see by the blanket of flowers on the ground. But these are such a beautiful site.

These bushes were just loaded with blossoms. So just image that the blossoms that you see laying on the ground are actually on the tree and if you really use your imagination you can see what I have seen this past couple of weeks.

This of course is someones yard. But can you believe there are yards this beautiful in west Texas. It is amazing what a little sprinkler system and water will do. But you really ought to know!! This is out by where some good friends of ours live and they see rattlesnakes all the time. Of course their house backs up to a wide open field. But they put moth balls out and it keeps the snakes out of their yard. Now they just have to worry about a bobcat and her babies jumping the fence to drink from their pool.

The desert is really a beautiful place. BUT along with the beautiful comes the sun also, which I love but today it is supposed to be 104 which is about 40 C. Thank heavens my frig makes ice cubes!!

The creature...

I know you were all very disappointed that yesterday's post was about our daughter's birthday. But I am sure that is was worth the wait!! This guy is UGLY!!! hairy, scary, creepy, wiggly etc. It is that time of year here in west Texas. They have arrived and are taking over. No not really don't panic.

They are Tarantula spiders. Thank heavens they are NOT poisonous well their bite might hurt and you might get some side effects from it, BUT you will not die or lose a chunk out of your arm. This is the time of year when they migrate. Migrate from where to where I haven't any idea. They just seem to pass through west Texas this time of year. When we lived here before and lived out in the country you could see them moving across the grass and all over the houses. But I haven't seen any in the city this year.

Our son found this one when we went to water the horses a couple of days ago. He was just hanging out on our friend's house. I thought about recruiting him and his buddies along with the turtles for the ranch livestock, but this guy wouldn't negotiate a deal either! What is it with these west Texas critter and not wanting to relocate. I mean this guy is migrating from where to where and won't even consider going to the Rocky Mountains. I am almost ready to give up on the this livestock thing!!

They are just such amazing and fascinating creatures.

She's 17...

Our daughter turned 17 yesterday!! Where have the years gone? My husband took the day off to help celebrate her birthday. This is the first time in 9 years that he has been there for her birthday because (I bet you are thinking what a bad father... DONT it was because we were always at the ranch and he was in Scotland and then Norway) So to start off her birthday day we served her breakfast in bed.

Then we went for pedicures!!

The girls loved the massage chairs, foot massages, and leg massages.

Our daughter decided she wanted tiger stripes for added decoration.

Isn't she corrdinated!! Her toes match her flip flops.

We then all gathered around the table for a great lunch of burger, corn, veggies and chips.

Then off the bowling alley for a couple of rounds.

This is a good friend of our daughters. They have just meet this summer and are really enjoying each other's company.

Our daughter in action.

In was such a fun day. Our daughter really enjoyed her friend. Her birthday present was to fly to the ranch by her self and hang with her grandpa and grandma. Then she is off to girl's camp for a week. Yes yet another girl's camp!! Is it the camping or the fun time they have that has her doing two camps this summer???